The Haines High School volleyball team will face off against Thunder Mountain High School at home this weekend for its first matches of the season.
Head coach Cassie Miller said the 15-person team is the biggest she’s coached, enough to split into junior varsity and varsity squads.
The volleyball team is coming off of a tough season last year with a 5-14 record. Having three girls out for injuries at the beginning of the season will make the start difficult.
“We have a lot of injured people, so it will be interesting,” said senior and team captain Brittney Bradford, who is just coming off an ankle injury. She said Tuesday she wasn’t sure if she would be well enough to play in Friday’s game.
“I think we’re going to be able to pull it together,” said freshman Kolbie Cloke.
“Both teams are doing really well at communicating with one another,” Miller said. Practice started early this month. “All of the varsity team has played together before, which is nice,” she said.
There are three seniors and three freshmen on this year’s team, and two pairs of sisters, Kolbie and Morgan Cloke, and Marissa and Miranda Haddock.
Miller said the first matches against Thunder Mountain’s “C” teams Friday and Saturday will be a “warmup” and a good learning experience for JV team players.
“We’ll actually get a feel of how the teams will play together on the court and not in practice,” Miller said.
“I feel like we’re all committed and willing to put in the work,” Marissa Haddock said.
Miller is back in the head coach position this year after taking maternity leave last season. Alixanne Goodman and Alisha Young, both Glacier Bear alumni, are assistant coaches.
Miller said the girls will head to Juneau Oct. 6-7 for a small schools’ tournament. A seeding tournament in Haines will take place Oct. 16-17. The Sitka tournament is Oct. 27-28.